


The Tie That Binds

by Valmasy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-23 20:23:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4890856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valmasy/pseuds/Valmasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A gift for jameseswilson for RhodeyFest 2015</p><p>~</p><p>Rhodey is a rock, steady and reliable. Tony Stark has been his best friend-turned-brother for decades, so nothing surprises him anymore. </p><p>Until it does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tie That Binds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kjstark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjstark/gifts).



Sam is laughing, a beer in one hand as it lifts towards his mouth and the other curled loosely on the table. It’s a good look on him and Rhodey smiles down at his own bottle of beer in response. It’s still relatively new between them, this heated friendship that simmers in the air and gets Tony nudging Rhodey’s side and Steve shaking his head fondly at Sam. 

Rhodey doesn’t care that the others rib them, enjoying Sam’s calm and easygoing company when they all find downtime together. He gravitates towards Sam with their shared military background, a different kind of background than they have with others. 

Tony will always, always be his best man, his best friend, his brother, but Sam understands the hard, grinding routine of military life, the call to follow orders and what it’s like to not always follow them to the best ends. Sam is smooth skin and hard muscle and burning hot hands sliding around Rhodey’s waist, dipping in the grooves of his hips and dragging their bodies together.

Rhodey blinks away the memories and goes to get another beer as some of the other Avengers strike up a game of pool. He lingers at the bar for a few minutes, talking easily with Maria, Tony and Thor. Their banter is the same, teasing and fond, and he wanders off mockingly offended. 

Sam finds him almost instantly near the darkened-out windows of Tony’s lab. Rhodey’s just watching the party below and Sam leans down, folds his arms across the railing and watches too. “I’ve got a thing,” Sam says and Rhodey takes a sip of his beer. “Another hit to take a look at for Steve.”

Rhodey nods and doesn’t sigh, though he wants to admit a disappointment at the loss of time between them. It’s a hard life, military and being part of the Avengers, Rhodey knows. “You’ll be careful,” he replies, doesn’t ask, makes it that much of an order and Sam laughs, bright teeth set in his dark, handsome face. Rhodey resists touching that smile, barely. His fingers twitch on his beer bottle.

“Yes, sir, Colonel,” Sam says low and warm and that aching feeling intensifies in Rhodey’s gut. He thinks he might love this man and thanks his lucky stars and stripes that Steve had obviously not been Sam’s type. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint my commanding officer.”

It’s Rhodey’s turn to chuckle and he finally slides a hand along Sam’s lower back, inviting. “I expect a thorough debriefing when you return, soldier.”

“Guaranteed,” Sam promises and they part ways as Tony calls for Rhodey to tell a group of party-goers his story. Sam leaves from the party to go run a lead for Steve and, after the party ends, Ultron happens. 

~~

Rhodey leaves the Avengers to the fighting and works from the inside of the government to keep the hacking at bay, to keep the military from jumping into action too soon. It’s hectic and fast-paced and he’s worried sick over Tony and the others and he almost, almost forgets to worry about Sam. It turns his stomach that he doesn’t know how Sam is doing beyond a few, hurried text messages. 

He’s just relieved when the fighting is over and they’re all resting and rebuilding and Sam wasn’t once in the middle of it. He doesn’t think his heart could take knowing that he could have lost the two most important men to him in that same battle in Sokovia. 

A few weeks after that, Sam and Steve leave to follow a lead on Steve’s friend, a revelation that had left them all reeling. Well, not really all of them, mostly Tony. Tony had taken off in his suit with Rhodey on his heels. They’d flown until Tony had been ready to tell Rhodey about his uneasiness with facing the man who’d been brainwashed into killing his parents, with his insecurity over what his best friend returning would do to Steve’s end of his relationship with Tony. Their relationship was even more fragile than Rhodey’s and Sam’s, though at least Steve and Tony’s had a label.

In the end, Steve and Sam both end up in a radio silence that Rhodey gets too busy to feel bad about. The government is keeping him busy and any free time he has left is devoted to training with the Avengers as Tony bows out and Thor returns to Asgard.

A week later, Rhodey gets a text message from Tony that reads: /The boys are back in town!/ Complete with sunglasses emoji in spades. Rhodey suspects Tony’s been on another work bender to distract himself from what Steve is potentially bringing home with him. As he’s replying to Tony’s message, he gets another. This one is from Sam. /Ready for that debrief, Colonel./ 

Rhodey smiles, touching the edge of his phone to his mouth as he grins like a fool and tries to hide it before responding. They set a time and Rhodey prepares to have Sam at his apartment in downtown Manhattan, a place that even Tony had to approve. Of course, he did, or he wouldn’t have let Rhodey stay there. He expects Sam to make it there before he does, so he gives him the code to get in and picks a few things up for dinner. 

He’s right. When he arrives home, Sam is already in the kitchen. 

He’s not alone, though.

To his credit, Rhodey is used to surprises. You can’t be friends with Tony Stark and not get used to them, good or bad. And he just doesn’t know how to categorize this one yet. “I hope you like lasagna,” Rhodey says to both men before anything else. Sam glances at the other man who Rhodey is assuming is the errant best friend of Steve Rogers, James Buchanan Barnes. Rhodey may have googled him while Sam was gone. They move out of his way as Rhodey begins to put his groceries away and sets things out to start making dinner. 

“I do,” the man says, expression twisting oddly for a moment. “Lasagna is good, thanks. If you’re sure you don’t mind. I know you weren’t expecting an extra guest.”

“It’s fine,” Rhodey shrugs and he finds that it is. Sam will explain and he’s honestly not worried about it. For now. 

“Bucky, can you give me a minute?” Sam asks quietly and Rhodey turns around to lean back against the counter as Bucky strides out of the kitchen and out of view into the living room. Still, Sam keeps his voice quiet as he keeps his attention on Rhodey. “I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you and thanks for not freaking out, man. It’s just Steve wouldn’t stop with the puppy eyes the whole way back with Bucky and the minute we got into the Tower, Steve and Tony were going at it like dogs.”

It’s not an image Rhodey wants in his head, because he’s sure they weren’t arguing. 

“Bucky’s completely fine on his own, but it’s his first night back in town with us and I didn’t want to ditch him,” Sam finishes while Rhodey drinks in the sight of him in his kitchen. Sam steps closer, one hand bracing on the counter near Rhodey’s.

“Hey, it’s no problem. Does he want to stay here?” Rhodey asks as he finally, finally, touches Sam, drawing their hands together and pulling the younger man closer. Sam steps into his space and doesn’t answer, choosing to kiss him instead and Rhodey hums his approval.

“I realized something while I was gone,” Sam says, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Yeah?” Rhodey asks, smile still hovering about his mouth. 

“Don’t freak out, though, okay?” Sam chews his lip a little and Rhodey kisses him again. 

“I love you,” Rhodey says against his mouth and Sam groans out a laugh. 

“You cheated,” he complains and they’re both laughing. Sam says, “I love you too,” between slower, deeper kisses as he backs Rhodey further against the counter and slips his hands under Rhodey’s shirt.

Rhodey sighs and becomes the responsible one, much to his dismay. “I really think we should save this until later,” he groans, rolling his hips forward into Sam’s as Sam tugs them together. 

“Yeah,” Sam agrees, biting at Rhodey’s jaw. “Should probably stop. Make dinner. Something, something, something. God, I’ve missed you.”

“Me too,” Rhodey says softly, cupping the back of Sam’s neck with a firm hand. He squeezes and Sam drops his head to Rhodey’s shoulder. 

“I have to tell you something else,” Sam says and Rhodey sweeps his thumb over Sam’s neck. “Bucky and I… We’ve slept together.” He finishes in a rush, like the words couldn’t stay in once he started them and he figured getting it over fast was better. Rhodey waits for an emotion to tear through him at the words, but nothing comes. Jealousy simmers faintly and maybe a hint of anger, but they’re both nothing to worry over. Sam says he loves him and Rhodey believes him.

“Okay,” Rhodey says and knows the answer is inadequate, but it’s seriously all he has to say at the moment. Then, “Is it an ongoing thing?”

Sam pulls back to search Rhodey’s face. He’s still biting his lip and Rhodey uses his thumb to pull his lower lip down from his teeth, smoothing the abused flesh with the pad of his thumb. “It just kind of happened the first time,” Sam admits. “A release of the pent up adrenaline, I guess. But yeah, it’s… We’ve done it a few times. I like him, Rhodey. But I love you. I don’t want to lose what this is, what we could be.”

Rhodey looks towards the kitchen doorway. It’s empty, of course, but he imagines Bucky out in the living room, pacing and gearing up for a fight if Rhodey takes it there. “You’re not going to lose me,” Rhodey decides then and there. “I don’t own you, Sam. If you want to see where this goes with him, then that’s what you should do. I’ll still be right here.”

Sam searches his face again and Rhodey makes sure there’s nothing in his expression, but the absolute truth of what he just said. “You really mean that, don’t you,” Sam says more than asks. “You’d wait here forever for me, wouldn’t you?”

“Weeeell.” Rhodey drags the word out, his mouth quirking. “Maybe not forever. Maybe just long enough to watch you two walk down the aisle. Then I might bust ass after a supermodel again. There’re plenty on the market now that Tones is settled down.”

“I’m selfish,” Sam says, shoulders rolling back as he steps back. Rhodey doesn’t feel like there’s a chasm between them, though. He feels it’s a good sign. “I want you both, but I’m realistic. It doesn’t work like that in the real world.”

Rhodey blinks in surprise, thoughts and possibilities rearranging themselves in his mind as he understands what Sam is thinking. He blinks again. “Actually, pretty sure it does,” he murmurs thoughtfully, turning around to start working on dinner again. “But we’ll talk about that later. Let’s just eat and relax. Tell…Bucky that he’s more than welcome to crash here if Steve gets to be too much. I really don’t mind since I’m not here that often.”

“Rhodey, I…” Sam trails off, but Rhodey focuses on the greasing the pan for the lasagna. “Thank you.”

The sentiment is firm, heartfelt, and Rhodey listens to Sam step out of the kitchen. His viewpoint of his relationship with Sam is different now, shifted. He’s still waiting for the blow up of emotions, but he honestly doesn’t think it’s going to happen. He just wants Sam happy. And while, yes, he should focus on his own happiness too, what little time he has with Sam has given him that. He won’t be content, but he’ll be okay. 

The three of them eat and actually have a good, quiet conversation. Bucky opens up in the middle and starts cracking on Steve and, in turn, Rhodey regales them with Tony stories while he was just a boy at MIT. 

That night though, Sam takes Bucky back to the Tower and Rhodey goes to sleep alone. He realizes in the middle of the night that he never finished responding to Tony. He leaves his phone on the nightstand and rolls over. 

~~

The days continue on as normal, with routine taking up much of Rhodey’s time. He continues to get messages from Sam, but now they’re interspersed surprisingly with messages from Bucky. He hadn’t honestly pictured the two of them getting along, but the burgeoning friendship is easy despite the tension he sometimes still sees at the corner of Bucky’s mouth and the pinched brow between his eyes. 

Sam eases it. Something about Sam’s presence always erases tension, eases people’s stiffness. Rhodey assumes it’s his nature as a counselor. It’s his nature period. Despite the addition of Bucky, Sam makes sure to make Rhodey feel like he’s still damn important. When they’re alone, Sam’s mouth worships Rhodey, draws out moans and orders as he mercilessly worries at the spot on Rhodey’s inner thigh that drives him wild. His hand is always firm and sure around Rhodey’s cock and the way Sam holds him as they fuck, deep and slow and languid, always leaves Rhodey feeling secure and loved. 

But he starts imagining Sam and Bucky together. It’s natural, Rhodey tells himself, and he still experiences no toxic levels of jealousy. It just is. He’s particularly fond of imagining Bucky’s silver fingers sliding two wide into Sam, stretching Sam open until the man is panting for more, pleading with Bucky’s name over and over as his hips fuck back into Bucky’s hand. That image gets Rhodey through most of his showers, more often than not. 

It’s not long after that that Rhodey starts replacing Sam with himself and by the end of knowing Bucky for six months, he feels like can almost taste the metal in his mouth. It makes talking to Bucky a little difficult, yes, but he thinks Sam might have caught on, because Sam starts to smirk every once in a while when Bucky sits beside Rhodey on the couch. 

It’s close to Christmas when everything comes to a head. A night before one of Tony’s famous Christmas parties, Rhodey decides that the three of them should have their own little celebration, something quiet, something more intimate so it doesn’t get lost in the crowd. They’ll join the Avengers the next day. 

Rhodey doesn’t get a big tree, far from it. It’s actually kind of pathetic in hindsight; a true Charlie Brown Christmas tree that sits on the coffee table in front of the television stand. It has four very tiny balls hanging on it, a small clumping of tinsel, and a little plastic star that makes the top droop over slightly. 

Sam loves it. Bucky snickers every time he glances at it. Underneath though, on the floor, sits a small group of presents for the three of them and they, too, sit on the floor beside them, glasses of egg nog in their hands or on the floor. 

“Who wants to go first?” Rhodey asks and Sam pushes one of the presents to Bucky who’s reclining back on the broad palms of his hands. His posture is loose and easy and it’s remarkable to Rhodey how far they’ve come. He never would have imagined it. 

“Aww shucks, Wilson,” Bucky drawls, sitting up to drag the present closer. It’s not a big box and Rhodey’s pretty sure it’s a fake box when the wrapping comes off to reveal a toaster box. “Just what I always wanted! How’d you know, baby?” 

Rhodey snorts even as Sam rolls his eyes. 

“I remembered you said it matched the silver in your arm,” Sam replies. “Plus it’s wide enough for your buns.”

“Told him to stop eating so many carbs,” Rhodey remarks and Bucky flips them both off as they fall over giggling, enjoying the slow buzz of the eggnog. But Bucky’s hand drops as he opens the box and he pauses. 

“Sam,” Bucky says, swallows, and lifts a thick, leather-bound journal into the light. It’s a dark brown, stressed to look aged, but clearly brand new. It’s strapped shut with a braided leather band that clasps in the corner. ‘JBB’ flashes on the clasp as the light shifts on it.

“You said you wanted something manual,” Sam says, trying to sound casual. It’s anything but though, from the look Bucky sends Sam’s way and Rhodey politely drops his gaze as Bucky drags Sam in by the shirt to kiss him. 

There’s a softly murmured ‘Thank you’ and then Sam’s clearing his throat. His cheeks are flushed when Rhodey looks back up. 

“Well, I’m not sure I can top that,” Rhodey says dryly as Bucky carefully puts the journal back in the box and tosses the wrapping paper towards the kitchen trashcan. Of course, he makes it in unerringly. The jerk.

“You’re next,” Bucky says with a shrug and he exchanges a glance with Sam who nods, mouth curling. The present says it’s from Bucky and Sam, though, so that’s something and anticipation blooms in Rhodey’s stomach as he wets his bottom lip. There’s something familiar about the feel of the present Sam hands him and, he won’t lie to himself, he’s disappointed when he reveals the packaging for an expensive shirt and tie. He shakes it off, though, and smiles at them both as he says thank you and pulls the tie free to look at the colors. It’s a nice set and a gorgeous tie, he’ll admit, but it’s nothing as personal as what Bucky received. He internally berates himself about not being a child anymore and Sam shifts forward. 

“Go try it on. We want to see it,” Sam says and Rhodey arches a brow. 

“You want me to try it on now?” he questions, trying to sound amused. 

“Yeah, man,” Sam shoos him with his hands. “For me?” 

Rhodey can’t deny him, so he pushes to his feet, taking his eggnog as Bucky hands it up to him with a smirk. “Thanks. I’ll, um, be right back.” He walks down the short hall to his bedroom and leaves the door cracked as he pulls off his sweater. He debates whether he should put on an undershirt or not and is in the process of just pulling one out of his drawer when the silk of his new tie slips around his eyes. He jerks, his knee slamming into the open drawer. “Wh-“ beats the curse out of Rhodey’s mouth, but it’s still cut off.

“Shh,” and that’s Bucky’s voice. Of course it’s Bucky, silent assassin that he is. Then the realization settles in and heat spikes through Rhodey’s gut even though he immediately goes to move away. 

“Stand still,” Sam says from behind them and Rhodey’s smart. He grasps the situation completely and he can’t stop the fool grin crossing his mouth again. It’s accompanied by nervous butterflies in his stomach, but he pays them no mind. 

Bucky finishes tying the tie off at the back of Rhodey’s head and both of his hands, one warm and the other cool, settle on Rhodey’s shoulders. “Not too tight?” Bucky asks and Rhodey swallows and shakes his head slightly. “Use your words, baby.”

“Not too tight,” Rhodey says and, God, his voice is already going low and gravelly. He wants this so badly, a visceral yearning that he’s had for a long time now. There’s a moment of silence and Rhodey licks his lips. Then, he’s being moved towards the bed, guided down and stripped bare. He drops his head back down on the pillows and he lifts his hips when requested. He hears his pants hit the floor, hears the echoing sounds of the other two stripping down and then he’s lost in the sensation of their mouths against his skin.

He learns that night exactly what Bucky tastes like, metal and skin respectively, and together they learn exactly how the three of them will fit together.

~~

In the morning, Rhodey wakes up on his stomach with his head on Sam’s chest. The tie is now around Sam’s wrist, fixed there loosely and draping down across the pillow where Sam has his arm flung over his eyes. 

He must sense the change in Rhodey, though, because he shifts his arm and smiles down at him. There’s a nervous tint to Sam’s smile and Rhodey smiles back. “Morning,” Rhodey says softly and Sam’s smile eases as he relaxes back into the pillows. 

“Morning, babe,” Sam replies, tightening his hold around Rhodey’s waist. “Buck’s making pancakes.”

“Mm,” Rhodey hums, closing his eyes again and letting his hand splay out against Sam’s stomach. He shifts under the blanket feeling pleasantly achy and sated still. 

“About last night,” Sam starts and Rhodey tilts his head back to look at him again. 

“Best present ever,” Rhodey finishes for him. “And that’s counting the flying suit Tony gave me.”

“Gave you? I thought you took it from him when he was acting like an ass,” Sam questions, but he’s smiling and looks fully at ease now that he realizes Rhodey isn’t going to freak out on him. 

“You can never take Tony’s suits,” Rhodey says with a sigh as he stretches. “He always intended for me to have it. I wouldn’t if he didn’t. But yeah, last night…”

“It’s permanent,” Sam cuts in, sitting up and taking Rhodey with him. Rhodey eyes him, brows rising. “It is. We both want this. I’ve always wanted you. Always, for the rest of my life. I love you and you know that. And you swept Bucky off his feet the same way you did me.”

Rhodey keeps a straight face for a long time until Sam starts to fidget. 

“Rhodey? This, you’re okay with this, right?” Sam begins to frown and he shifts again, fisting a hand in the sheet. “It’s just… I told you I was selfish months ago. I want you both and you, you said that it could work and well, I talked to Buck and he agreed and we’ve been…”

“Wooing you ever since,” Bucky says from the doorway. “Apparently we couldn’t just outright ask.”

“Sam’s a romantic,” Rhodey says, finally relenting and tugging Sam in to a soft kiss. “Relax, babe. I know and I’m completely on board.”

Sam groans and flops back. “You’re both going to gang up on me now, aren’t you?” Sam complains while grinning at the ceiling. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Bucky drawls, settling beside Rhodey on the bed. “We might and we’ll win.”

“Well, naturally,” Rhodey says, enjoying how easy and natural it is to just lean into Bucky’s warmth. “We’re both on his left.” Sam’s shout of outrage and betrayal echoes throughout the apartment followed by Bucky and Rhodey’s laughter. 

It isn’t where Rhodey pictured himself being five years ago, but he knows. He knows that he wouldn’t change any of it for the world.


End file.
